Guard for electric-railway trolleys



(No Model.)

A. W. MITCHELL. GUARD FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY TROLLEYS. No. 449,226.

Patented Mar. 31,1891.

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I Ill 'lIIIIIIIIIlIllI/Illl 7477 JE55F5 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW \V. MITCHELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GUARD FOR ELECTRIC-RAILWAY TROLLEYS.

ESPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,226, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed June 28, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW W. MITCHELL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guards for Electric-Railway Trolleys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to prevent the accidental detachment of the trolleywheel of an electric-railway car from the electric wire; and the'invention consists of a trolley-wheel for an electric-railway car provided with means to prevent the accidental detachment of the trolley-wheel from the electric wire, which is arranged to be easily attached and detached therefrom when desired, all substantiallyashereinafterfullydescribed, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which is fully illustrated the present invention.

Figures 1 and 2 represent in perspective a trolley-Wheel supported on the end of the rod, which is usually attached to the car and in position on an electric wire, showing the parts in two diiferent positions. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 5 5, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a plan View of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A represents the upper end of a rod for a trolley-wheel B of an electricrailway car, the rod being connected to the car in the usual 'manner and needing no more particular description herein. This rod at its 7 upper end is bifurcated, and between its two arms 0 and D is placed the trolley-wheel B, arranged to turn on the cross-journal pin a, secured in the two armsin any suitable manner.

Between the arms and the wheel, on each side of the wheel, is a fiat arm or piece E, each pivoted to the j ournal-pin CL and each extending upward and nearly to the top of the wheel, the upper part of each piece having a flange F, extending toward the other over the wheel at right angles thereto and both in the same horizontal plane, but so that their contiguous edges b will not meet, leaving a space or opening G between the two, asshown in the drawings, which flanges prevent the trolley-wheel from falling from the wire. Through each flange E there is a slit or elongated opening (I in line with the wheel, through which the edge or rim II of the wheel projects a short Serial No. 356,425. (No model.)

distance above the flange, as shown in Fig. 1. Each flange-arm extends down below from its pivot and has a curved slot in such extension, which slots run in reverse directions, and each engages with a pin f, secured in a separate flat upright piece K, outside of the flange arm, and connected together at their lower ends by a cross-bar L. In each of these outer pieces K is a vertical longitudinal slot M, arranged over the journal-pin a, which projects through it and over which the pieces can freely move.

The journal-pin Ct has on its outer end a shoulder or nut N, which secures all parts together, but so that they can freely move as desired, and outside of these to each end of the pin is connected by one end a spiral spring P, which at their other ends are connected to projecting arms Q of the cross-bar.

As shown in Fig. 1, the parts are in their normal position on the electric Wire R, the lower ends of the slots of the outer pieces K being against the journal-pin a, while in Fig. 2 the arms K are moved down, bringing the upper ends of the slots down against the jour- Attached to the cross-bar L is a rope S,

which is the usual rope used for attaching and detaching the trolley-wheel from the electric wire.

In the use of the trolley-wheel the electric wire is inserted between the flanges F and the groove T of the wheel by pulling down on the rope S, which pulls down the outer arms K against their springs, and in such downward movement their pins f swing the flange-arms E on their pivots in contrary directions, the pins acting upon the curved slots J in the arms in such manner as to make the desired swinging movements of the flange-arms, thus moving the flanges away from each other, so as to leave an enlarged space between them sufficiently wide for them to pass freely over the wire, when by proper manipulation of the rope the wheel is placed against the wire, as usual. The rope is then loosened, which lets the springs act and which pull up the arms K to their normal positions, and in such upward movement their pins f act upon the curved slots of the flange-arms E to swing them back and bring their flanges opposite to each other across the wheel over the wire. Then the trolley-wheel is on the wire and the parts as shown in Fig. 1, the arm-flanges F are sufficiently near to each other to prevent the wire from passing between them for the wheel to drop from the wire or become detached therefrom from any cause; but there is space enough between them for the flanges to pass freely by the supports U of the wire, as shown in Fig. 3 in cross-section, the support for the wire being made thin. IVith the flange-pieces provided with the flanges extending over the trolley-wheel, it will not be accidentally detached from the electric wire, while at the same time the flanges do not prevent the wheel freely traveling along the wire and passing the various supports, and having the openings in the flanges for the rims or edges of the wheel to project through, and above them, as shown, the electric aircuit is maintained when the wheel passes onto the frogs or connecting parts of the electric wire at turn-outs, &c., the edges of the wheel bearing against and running on the same, as usual. It desirous of removing the wheel at any place along the wire, by pulling down upon the rope the flangearms will be swung upon the journal-pin in opposite directions,

as before described, for the flanges to be at opposite sides and separate from each other, when the wheel can be disconnected easily from the wire, it being replaced, as before described. The edges of the flanges are beveled or cut away from their central points to the ends h for the supports for the wire to freely enter between them without interfering with them or injury thereto, and when swung round to remove the wheel from the wire enables it the easier to be removed.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, with a trolley-wheel, of two arms, each having a flange extending over the Wheel and provided with a slit or opening in line with and for the rim or edge of the wheel to project through, for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with a trolley-wheel, of two arms, each having a flange extending over the wheel, and a slit or opening in said flange in line with and for the rim or edge of the wheel to project through, each flange being cut away from its central portion to each end, for the purpose specified.

The combination, with a trolley-wheel, of two arms pivoted on its journal-pin, each having a curved slot, and a flange extending over the wheel, an arm at its side having a pin engaging with said curved slot, and a slot engaging with the journal-pin of the trolleywheel, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with a trolley-wheel, of two arms pivoted onits journal-pin, each having a curved slot, and a flange extending over the wheel, an arm at its side having a pin engaging with said curved slot, a slot engaging with the journal-pin of the trolley-v wheel, and a spring or springs connected to said latter arms, forthe purpose specified.

5. The combination, with a trolley-wheel, of two arms pivoted on its journal-pin, each having a curved slot, a flange extending over the wheel, and a slit or opening in said flange in line with and for the rim or edge of the wheel to project through, an arm at its side having a pin engaging with said curved slot, and a slot engaging with the journal-pin of the trolley-wheel, for the purpose specified.

(3. The combination, wit-h a trolley-wheel, of two arms pivoted on its journal-pin, each having a curved slot, a flange extending over the wheel, and a slit or opening in said flange in line with and for the rim or edge of the wheel to project through, an arm at its. side having a pin engaging with said curved slot, and a slot engaging with the journal-pin of the trolley-wheel, and a spring or springs connected to said latter arms, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW W. MITCHELL.

Witnesses:

EDWIN W. BROWN, A. B. WENTWORTH. 

